Chapter 38

TRANSLATED BY MYPEN_22

Over the next few days, Yan Shì travelled the towns around the imperial city in the name of handling cases and made friends with many students who would be sitting for the examinations next year.

    When it was almost winter, Yan Shi finally found a way to ask the Emperor to go on a tour of the Imperial City, which he agreed to, but he had to return before the New Year.

    Normally, when an official of the Imperial City goes out, his family must stay in the Imperial City. However, if the husband and wife were both officials in the imperial court and each had important business to attend to, they could ask the emperor for an accommodation, but this was rarely granted.

    Hua Ling did not have an official position, so as a rule he could not go with Yan Shi. But he asked to go to the palace once, begging the Emperor that he had never even left the gates of the State House before he was married, so he wanted to go out this time. He begged and pleaded again, pityingly.

    Although Emperor Chongzhuan did not like Yan Shi, he unexpectedly liked Hua Ling. As the emperor, everyone around him was more scheming than the others, and everyone approached him with a purpose, even his own children, who were all seeking something from him. Only Hua Ling is as pure as a sheet of paper, treating him like a father and asking for nothing else. As he was soft and pampered, and as the Emperor was already sympathetic to Hua Ling, he nodded in agreement when he thought that there were only three months left before the New Year.

    Yan Shi arranged the affairs of the Da Lisi and the house so that Jiang Qingyue, Sang Yu, Xiangzhu and the mute sister would stay in the house. Jiang Qingyue had to keep a watchful eye on the royal residence and check all movements in the imperial city, while Sang Yu knew martial arts, so if there was something to be done, he could be asked to do it. Xiangzhuo is a member of the Ten Square Sect, so it is not appropriate to take her with them. As for Sister Mute, she is too old to travel long distances.

    In addition to Hua Ling, Yan Shi also brought along Qu Liujing and two officials from the Da Lisi, two brothers named Zhao Hai Chun and Wu Jin De, who are Yan Shi's trusted confidants and first-class experts in the Da Lisi.

    As for Qu Liujing, he is a doctor and he knows how to use compulsions, so he might be able to use them on the road.

    The trip was planned to be in light clothes, so Yan Shi and the others changed into civilian clothes and set off in a carriage.

    They took three rooms, one for Yan Shi and Hua Ling, one for Zhao Hai Chun and Wu Jinde, and one for Qu Liujing himself.

    When they got into the room after eating and drinking, Yan Shi saw that there was only one bed and was slightly embarrassed, "I'll ask for another room later."

    "Brother, if they see you, it's not good." Hua Ling reassured him again and again, "Brother, I'll sleep honestly, I won't disturb you."

    When Yan Shi saw Hua Ling's pitiful look, his heart softened and he agreed. After spending these few months together, it's not that he doesn't have feelings for him. Since he have feelings and they are husband and wife, what's wrong with sleeping in the same bed? If something happened in this bed, then let's just let nature take its course.

    After thinking about it, Yan Shitook off his outer clothes and tried to sleep. "Is Mingting used to sleeping outside or inside?"

    When Hua Ling saw that Yan Shi had no intention of leaving, he almost jumped up with joy, "Brother, you can sleep inside, so that I can serve you if you have anything to do at night."

    Yan Shi wanted to say that he didn't need to serve, but seeing the little princess' delighted look, he didn't say anything, so he lifted the blanket and got into bed to lie down inside.

    Hua Ling took off his outer clothes and blew out the candle and lay down beside Yan Shi.

    "Brother, can you hug me?" Hua Ling's expectant voice rang out in the darkness.

    Yan Shi proved his point with his actions as he wrapped Hua Ling in his arms and Hua Ling placed one hand on his waist.

    Just when Yan Shi thought Hua Ling would make further moves, he heard a long breath coming from his arms.

    He cried and laughed a little, this sleep was too quick.

    The next morning, Yan Shi woke up in Hua Ling's arms. Last night, he was clearly holding the little wife in his arms, but how did it turn out that the little wife was holding him?

    Before Yan Shi could think of anything, he saw Hua Ling waking up rubbing his eyes.

    "Brother, how did you sleep last night?" Hua Ling asked as he rubbed his eyes, and because he had just woken up, his voice was still a little nasal, which tickled people's hearts.

    Yan Shi smiled, "Still Fine."

    Hua Ling gave a big smile "I told you I was an honest sleeper."

    As they spoke, a young man came to bring water to wash their faces. The two of them freshened up and went downstairs to have breakfast, and then went on their way in the carriage.

    In the following days, the two slept in the same bed and shared a room.

    This day, they finally arrived at the first destination of their trip, Tonglin County.

    Tonglin County is not too big, but it is very wealthy, with the canal at its back, making it very convenient to do business, and half of the people in the city rely on the canal to make their fortunes.

    When they arrived in Tonglin County, it was already noon, so Yan Shi decided to have a meal first before looking for someone.

    Qu Liujing, Yan Shi and Hua Ling were all dressed as young merchants, while Zhao Chunhai and Wu Jinde were dressed as servants. Therefore, Zhao Chunhai and Wu Jinde should have stood by and waited on them, but Yan Shi was not so particular about this, so if no one was around, he would ask the two of them to eat at the same table, and if there were people, he would show them the situation, and if they were in someone's home, they would stand by and wait on them, and if it was an occasion like this, he would ask them to eat at another table.

    Although they ate at another table, they kept their ears and eyes open and watched the surroundings to ensure the safety of Yan Shi and the others.

    It was noon and the restaurant was crowded. While waiting for the food, Hua Ling asked, "Brother, who are we looking for here?"

    "There is a scholar here named Zhou Yongyan, he is also the scholar of the whole Fushan County, we are here to look for him." There are many candidates in the kingdom and it would be impossible to find them one by one, besides not every candidate can get a high school education, so Yan Shi is only looking for Jieyuan, so that the chances are better, "I heard that this Zhou Yongyan's family is a businessman, not bad''

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    Yan Shi smiled, "Let's improvise when the time comes." If I were to say that I am the Prince , that I am here to recruit you, and that you should join me, I am afraid it would backfire. When Yan Shi thought of this, his smile grew even bigger.

    Hua Ling's eyes glowed and he was about to drown in this smile "Brother is so pretty."

    "Cough," Qu Liujing coughs lightly with his hand clenched under his mouth, "Your Highness, I'm still here."

    Hua Ling blushed slightly and immediately put his hands on his knees and straightened his back, not daring to look at him again.

    Yan Shi was made to laugh at the contrast between Hua Ling's face and his face, how could the little princess be so cute?

    In a short time, the dishes came one after another, and Yan Shi ordered a pot of wine, but he didn't let Hua Ling drink it, only he and Qu Liujing drank some.

    Qu Liujing poured a few drops of wine from his cup onto the table, and then took out a small bamboo tube from his sleeve. The worm was about the thickness and length of a thumb and had a hideous face with a hair visible to the naked eye.

    When it came out, it moved its two tentacles and crawled towards the wine on the table, where it did not move and seemed to be drinking.

    Yan Shi looked surprised, "What is this thing?"

    Qu Liujing said, "This is called a long touch worm, I used it to make a compulsion worm, it loves to drink, today there is wine so let it also taste."

    The two of them were talking, so Hua Ling stretched out his neck to take a look. After taking a look, he immediately jumped into Yan Qiu's arms and said with a crying voice, "Brother, I'm scared."

    Yan Shi patted him on the back as a sign of comfort, "Don't be afraid, it's just a small bug."

    Qu Liujing took the long-tentacled insect back into the bamboo tube, his voice full of guilt, "I didn't know that Your Highness would be afraid, so Liujing really deserves to die." Although he said this, he rolled his eyes when no one saw him.

    When the meal was almost finished, they heard a commotion in the street.

    The next thing they heard was a woman shouting at the top of her lungs, "Let me go! Let me go!" A few people looked outside and saw two women holding a woman left and right as she walked forward.

    They were followed by two women in the same clothes and two men.

    The woman they were carrying looked to be about thirty years old, dressed in gold and silver, but her hair was a bit dishevelled from the struggle, and her hairpins were tilted in a crooked manner. She looked like the wife of a large family.

    The two maids beside her seemed to be saying something, but they were far away and their voices were too low to be heard.

    There were many people in the street, but they didn't seem to see them, so they did what they had to do. The diners in the tavern at first heard the noise and craned their necks to look, but then went back to eating.

    What the hell is going on here?

    When they looked at each other, Hua Ling couldn't help but say, "Brother, what's going on here? Are they robbing a woman in broad daylight?"

    But this was not the imperial city, so they had to be careful.

    "What do you want to do, sir?" Xiao Er came quickly.

    Yan Shi pointed out the window with his fan, "What was that about just now?"

    The waiter said, "You are not local people, are you?"

    Yan Shi nodded his head, and the junior laughed and said, "I guessed it was, no one in the whole Tonglin County didn't know about their Zhou family."

    The first time he heard about the Zhou family, Yan Shi frowned inscrutably, it is said that Zhou Yongyan's family is a big family in Tonglin County, could this Zhou family be related to him, Yan Shì took out a piece of broken silver and put it on the table "Little brother, then please tell us about this matter, we like to hear a lively, just saw that matter inevitably some curiosity.